


banana skies

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, M/M, Pining, Small Towns, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22794214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Renjun doesn’t mind working the morning shifts in his parent’s family mart.That is, untilhim.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 10
Kudos: 146
Collections: Anonymous





	banana skies

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this ages ago for a friend for christmas exchange and saw it rotting in my gdrive so.... thought might as well post it? not my best but let me know what you thought :D

Renjun doesn’t mind working the morning shifts in his parent’s family mart. 

Waking up at four in the morning isn’t something most people can do, but Renjun prides himself in the fact that not only is he not grumpy, but he can wake without the help of an alarm. Before working at the store, Renjun would usually spend his mornings catching up on homework he forgot to do the night before or doodling in the living room as he watches the sun rise. Not much changes: Renjun still spends his mornings behind the counter doodling and catching up on work — not many people come in at four in the morning so he can afford this — but the only change is that Renjun is paid.

He’s absolutely  _ loaded. _ Even though it’s only minimum wage, it’s more money than Renjun’s ever had in his life. He spends it on art supplies and cool clothes he saw online, and the few times he and Donghyuck venture into the city, they get their ears pierced. (Renjun got his eyebrow pierced, too, but he covers this up with a bandaid when he’s around his parents. They give him questioning glances but never push to ask.) 

The only downside to this is Donghyuck. Renjun often finds that Donghyuck is the downside to most things — not really; he’s Renjun’s best friend — so this doesn’t come as a surprise. After school each day, Donghyuck drags Renjun to the cafe opposite the family mart, and this is Renjun’s problem. 

He simply cannot resist Donghyuck and when he sits there with his lips curved into a pout and his already bright eyes wide and shining, Renjun finds himself relenting. He buys Donghyuck so much cake that even though he’s not the one eating it, he feels sick. He buys so much cake that his pockets scream and the bank app on his phone bleeps. He’s in overdraft. Yet again. 

But aside from the money, Renjun uses the three hours before school to relax. When he doesn’t have homework, he doodles or talks with Doyoung, who sometimes shares his shift, and every few days, Johnny, the custodian. The family mart is his little comfort corner, full of early morning laughs, lit by the light of the rising sun. 

Nothing eventful ever happens but Renjun finds that’s okay because his life is eventful enough as it is, and early mornings in the family mart help keep his blood pressure low and his mind relaxed. 

Nothing eventful ever happens in the family mart, but that’s okay because Renjun likes it just as it is. 

Renjun’s early morning routine starts like this: he wakes and brushes his teeth and then scavenges through the mess of clothes on his bedroom floor for something clean. He doesn’t really mind what it is as long as it doesn’t smell and he’s clothed. Then, he leaves the house and climbs down the stairs into the family mart below. Renjun’s lucky that he lives right on top of the family mart: it means that he can wake exactly five minutes before his shift starts and not be late.

Renjun takes his time waltzing down the stairs. He pauses just as he reaches the bottom to soak in the tranquility. He can hear Doyoung bustling about on the other side as he unlocks the shop, and there’s a jangle of keys that he recognises as Johnny preparing to get everything in order. It’s as routine as bird song in the early morning. Renjun hums along to the tune. 

He steps into the store and peers around. Doyoung jumps out from behind a shelf, startling Renjun. 

“Morning!” he grins, completely unaware of the heart attack he just gave Renjun. “We got a new shipment of chips today, so I’m going to be stocking them. You alright behind the counter?”   


“Sure,” Renjun says and takes his place behind the counter. 

He settles down on the stool and pulls out his earphones, slipping them in and turning on his early morning playlist. The music is like honey in his ears, dripping slow and smooth. Renjun’s eyes flutter shut as he allows it to envelope him. Sunlight blurs through the windows, warm against Renjun’s skin. He tilts his head to soak it up. 

Sleep hums through his veins and if the song were any slower and the sunlight any warmer, Renjun would just fall asleep. But, he can hear the crinkle of crisp packets in the background as Doyoung bustles about and Johnny’s keys tinkle in the distance. In this moment, the store feels like it doesn’t exist. Renjun feels like air, like  _ he _ doesn’t exist. It feels like he’s frozen in time, carried by the song between universes. 

Renjun sighs. This is how he loves to spend his mornings. He tells himself that he’ll wait until the song ends and then he’ll get to doodling. If he doesn’t doodle in the family mart then he’ll end up doodling at school, and this can’t happen; one too many times he’s been given detention for not paying attention, and staying behind after school means that he misses his daily cafe run with Donghyuck, which means that he has a whiny Donghyuck on his back.

Renjun shivers. That  _ can’t  _ happen. 

The song is about to come to a close. A piano swims into the song and Renjun taps out the notes against his thigh, imagining that he was the one playing them. This is his favourite part of the song. He smiles as the piano crawls towards it’s climax, the notes climbing higher and higher, growing more desperate and Renjun finds himself on the edge of his seat, his heartbeat picking up, _ just a little bit more  _ —

A loud crash tears through the air and Renjun jumps, eyes snapping open as he rips the earphones out. The piano dies off just before it reaches the best part. Renjun’s not a whiny person — that’s Donghyuck — but not being able to finish the song leaves him so unsatisfied that he  _ pouts.  _

He’s going to find whoever stole his joy and broke the tranquility of his morning shift, and he’s going to kill them. 

“Doyoung,” Renjun growls. “What was that?” 

Doyoung peers around the shelf, a packet of crisps still in his hands. He’s frowning. “No idea. I thought it was you.”

“You know I don’t move for a good hour into this shift.” Renjun sighs. Onto the next culprit. “Johnny?”

“Yes?” Johnny sings from the back. 

“Did you drop anything?” Renjun asks. 

“No,” Johnny calls out and Renjun trusts him enough to know that he speaks the truth. “I’m sure it was nothing, though.”

Renjun’s sure that it was nothing, too, but that’s not what concerns him. It’s his ruined morning that concerns him. He’s going to go through the rest of the day with a bite to all of his words and heavy steps and a grimace. Donghyuck is going to poke him and pull the corners of his lips into a smile, and Renjun’s going to  _ hate it _ . 

Four hours into the day and Renjun already knows it’s the worst day of the week. 

“Yeah,” Renjun says and slumps in his seat. 

His earphones are on the floor and he’s too tired to pick them up. Instead he pulls out the notebook he keeps in the drawer and a pen and begins to doodle. It helps to somewhat calm him down, and though Renjun can’t say that the day is saved, he’s considerably less grumpy than before. That is, until the bell jingles, signalling that there’s a customer.    


Renjun’s grip tightens on the pen and it drags a messy line through his sketch. They don’t get customers at four in the morning. This was specifically why Renjun chose this shift. And yet, standing in front of him, is a customer. Renjun puts on his best customer-service smile but it feels more like a grimace. 

“Good morning, can I help you with anything?” Renjun asks and then looks up. 

Standing in front of him is a stranger. In this town of a couple hundred people, everyone knows everyone, and Renjun most certainly wouldn’t have forgotten his face — he’s handsome. It’s the kind of handsome that you see on the cover of those glossy magazines or watch on TV. It’s the kind of handsome that Renjun dreams about when he closes his eyes at night. 

Under any other circumstance, Renjun would be awestruck. But now, he can’t help but laugh. A giggle slips out and he has to bite his lip to silence himself.

Yes, the stranger is handsome, but he’s bright red, his defined cheeks dusted with pink. He’s wearing one of those 1960s era sweatbands and it does a poor job at catching the sweat because his forehead is slick, glistening in the store’s light. And it’s not even the sweat that dribbles down his neck like rain that has Renjun laughing; it’s the fact that his sweatband is pushed so far up his forehead that his long, shaggy hair sticks out, making him look something like sonic the hedgehog. 

“Were you running?” Renjun asks once he has his breathing under control. 

The stranger nods and suddenly Renjun’s laughing again. Sonic.  _ Gotta go fast.  _

“Sorry, uh… where are the drinks?” the stranger asks and Renjun frowns.

“Alcohol? At four in the morning?”

The stranger’s eyes grow wide. “No! Uh, banana milk, actually…” The stranger scratches the back of their neck and looks away. Renjun’s almost endeared.

“It’s at the back,” Renjun says and points. The stranger nods with a quick thank you and hurries off to the back of the store. 

While he’s gone, Renjun gets back to doodling. The line through his previous scribble renders it useless, so Renjun starts up another. This time, he draws inspiration from the handsome stranger, drawing a sonic-human fusion covered in slick sweat, his cheeks flushed red. Renjun grins the whole time he’s doodling. 

The stranger comes back and slams the banana milk on the counter. Renjun almost jolts but it doesn’t matter, because he’s finished his doodle. He places it to the side and takes the banana milk, scanning it.

“That’ll be 1000 won,” Renjun says. When he stranger doesn’t answer, Renjun looks up from the banana milk to the stranger. “Hello?”

“Sorry,” the stranger says, a frown on his face. He’s considerably less red than before, Renjun notices. And, considerably more handsome. “It’s just… is that me?” he asks and Renjun briefly wonders what he means but then he follows his gaze down to the paper. Ah. 

“Oh, uh… no?” Renjun says and then winces. “It’s sonic the hedgehog.” 

The stranger barks out a laugh and it’s so loud that Renjun winces again. “Sorry,” the stranger says, covering his wide smile with his hand. “You’re a good artist.”

“1000 won,” Renjun says, holding his hand out. It’s four in the morning and his peace has been ruined and yes, the stranger is eye candy, but all Renjun wants is his peace and quiet. 

“Oh, yeah, one second.” The stranger scavenges his pockets and then pulls out a note. Renjun takes it and places the banana milk in his hand. 

“Have a good day, come again,” Renjun says. The stranger has the banana milk but does not move. “Goodbye?” Renjun prompts. The stranger jumps and smiles again. It’s bright and warm like the early morning sunrise. Renjun almost feels bad for being so snappy. 

“See you around,” the stranger says and turns to leave, but before he’s out of the store, he stops. Renjun looks up. “Oh by the way, uh… I knocked over the bike rack on the way in.”

Renjun groans internally, but reminds himself that he doesn’t want to get fired, he doesn’t want to get fired, _he_ _doesn’t want to get fired._

“It’s okay. Thanks for coming,” Renjun says. The bell jingles as the stranger leaves and Renjun collapses against the counter. 

So much for nothing eventful ever happening. 

“He was handsome? How handsome are we talking?” 

Donghyuck and Renjun are sat behind the bushes near the school field. Neither of them like sports very much, and it wasn’t until Donghyuck that Renjun got the idea to bunk. Yeah, his fitness may be taking a toll, but that’s alright for now. A whistle sounds in the distance and Renjun freezes, the anxiety of being caught seizing him. He really can’t afford anymore detentions. 

“Like,  _ this _ handsome,” Renjun says and shuffles around in his back for his notepad. He skims through the pages, landing on the picture he drew the other day, passing it over to Donghyuck.

Donghyuck snorts. “Sonic? Renjun, you have interesting taste.” 

Renjun snatches his notebook back, slamming it shut. “No, that’s just a doodle. He was handsome, I swear.” 

Donghyuck’s eyes narrow and he regards Renjun for a long, silent moment, before he flops back on the grass with a sigh. 

“Whatever you say. Introduce him to me next time.”

“What, at four in the morning? Hyuck, you’d murder me.” 

Donghyuck laughs. “That’s true. Say, got any food in your bag? I missed breakfast.” 

Renjun shakes his head. It’s awfully silent. A smile blooms on Donghyuck’s face and Renjun’s filled with dread. 

“No. Hyuck, no, I won’t.”

“Why not?” Donghyuck whines. “I’m hungry, you’re hungry, please!”

“I’m not even hungry!” Renjun whispers. He would snap but being caught is the last thing he wants. “If you’re so hungry, go get it yourself. The vending machine is a minute away. I’m not getting caught so you can fill your stomach.”

“You won’t get caught. And besides,  _ you _ have the money.” 

Renjun rolls his eyes and digs around for his wallet. He throws it at Donghyuck. “There, now you have it. Go on, go get your food.” 

Donghyuck shakes his head. “Too tired. Here, how about we settle this fair and square?” He unzips Renjun’s wallet and pulls out a coin. “You’re heads, I’m tails. Okay?”

Renjun sighs. “Okay.”

Donghyuck balances the coin on his thumb and then flicks it. It spins through the air and lands on Donghyuck’s palm. 

“Ha!” Donghyuck cries. “Heads, you have to go.”

Renjun doesn’t waste a moment before snatching the wallet and trudging off to the vending machine, not wanting to see Donghyuck wallow in his victory. Renjun takes extra care to sneak around so that he’s not caught. When he hears that familiar squeak of trainers against the floor, he ducks, and when he hears a laugh in the distance, his heart stops.

It takes a couple of minutes but Renjun manages to make it to the vending machine unscathed. He breathes a sigh of relief and takes out some coins, slotting them in, and pressing a random button. Donghyuck will have to deal with whatever he gets.

Renjun waits as the vending machine churns out the mystery food. He waits a minute, and then two, and around five minutes pass before Renjun realises that something’s wrong. The packet of crisps he chose is stuck. Renjun groans and slams his head against the glass.

“Careful there,” someone says and Renjun jumps back. This is it. He’s caught and he’s going to get another detention. Renjun very nearly drops to his knees to beg. Maybe then whoever it is will spare him — he’s just a lonely boy who’s been bullied by his friend into bunking and buying him food, please take pity. 

Just as Renjun’s about to get down, he looks up at the stranger and freezes. “You again,” he says. 

The handsome stranger from the store grins. “Told you I’d see you around.” 

He’s just as sweaty as he was yesterday, except this time, his sweatband is positioned correctly and his hair flops over, silky and smooth, nothing like the sonic haircut from the other day. If Renjun thought he was handsome in the light of sunrise, then he’s downright gorgeous in daylight. His skin glows, whether because of the gloss of the sweat, or because his skin is made of sunlight, Renjun isn’t sure. All he  _ is _ sure of is that his heart skips a beat and it’s utterly dangerous because Renjun hasn’t exercised in years, he must be having a heart attack. The cholesterol from all of those cakes and crisps is clogging his veins.   
  
Renjun is going to die. He groans and slams his head against the vending machine again. 

“You alright there?” the stranger asks, worried. 

“What do you want?” Renjun asks. 

“Nothing much,” the stranger says. Renjun closes his eyes, hoping that death will take him. When they open again, the stranger is still standing there.

“Seriously, can I help you?” 

The stranger stutters in place and scratches the back of his neck. A habit, Renjun notices. 

“You can actually, uh… can I get your name?” 

Renjun squints. “And what will you give me in return?” 

The stranger shrugs. “Mine?” When Renjun doesn’t look convinced, he adds, “and I’ll help you get those crisps out.” 

Renjun hums. “Fine.” He steps back and the stranger shakes the vending machine. The crisps fall and he bends to pick them up, handing them to Renjun. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the stranger smiles. “And uh… your name?”

“Renjun,” he says.

“Renjun…” the stranger repeats, testing out the name on his tongue. “You’re in my PE class. You’re bunking?”   


Renjun shrugs and begins to walk back to the bushes. “You paid for my name and you got it. Anything else will cost you extra.”

The stranger laughs, the sound dissonant as Renjun puts space between them. 

“You didn’t get  _ my _ name,” the stranger calls out. 

“Don’t want it!” Renjun yells back. 

The stranger laughs again and the sound settles in Renjun’s chest, warm like sunlight. 

“It’s Yukhei! Wong Yukhei!” he says as Renjun rounds the corner.

_ Yukhei _ . Renjun hugs the crisp packet closer to his chest as if the crunch of the chips under his grip will dull the swirling in his heart. 

A few days later and Yukhei comes into the store again. This time, thankfully, he comes quietly. Renjun’s sat doodling when he comes in, the jingling bell alerting Renjun to his presence. 

“Morning,” Renjun says. He doesn’t need to recite the standard greeting; they’re on first name basis now and Renjun won’t be fired for being rude. Being rude is all part of friendship, and if Renjun was fired for being rude to friends (Donghyuck), he would’ve been fired long ago. 

“Morning, Renjun,” Yukhei says and goes to the back to get his banana milk. He’s sweaty again, most likely having gone for a run, and when he comes back to the counter to pay, Renjun wrinkles his nose. “Sorry, I normally shower after this. This isn’t my natural scent.”

“Good to know,” Renjun says and rings Yukhei up. “1000 won.” Before he holds his hand out, Yukhei’s pressing the note down on the counter. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Yukhei smiles. “See you at school!”

Renjun nods. The bell jingles. He slumps down on the counter.

Why is Yukhei so pretty, even covered with sweat?

“You alright there, buddy?” Johnny asks as he comes to sweep up the sweat Yukhei left on the floor. Renjun groans. “I get you. Don’t worry, it gets better.”

Renjun sighs. He hopes so. 

When Yukhei comes again, Renjun is busy dooling. His notebook is already half full of doodles of sweaty Yukheis and Yukheis in sports clothes, Yukheis dressed in suits, just Yukhei, Yukhei, Yukhei. Renjun thinks he has a bit of a problem, but that’s a given. Who can  _ not _ have a problem when it comes to Yukhei? He’s a pleasure to draw with his sharp lines and soft eyes and picture-perfect smile.

He’s too perfect, Renjun reasons. Too handsome, too everything. Renjun really hopes he doesn’t come in this morning because the last thing Renjun’s perfect morning needs is to be broken by Yukhei’s perfect beauty; how can the sunlight and his music measure up to Yukhei? 

The bell jingles and Yukhei walks in. Renjun focuses on his doodle, forcing himself not to look up. 

“Morning,” Renjun calls and Yukhei parrots a morning back, weaving between the aisles to get to the banana milk. When he comes back to the front, he surprisingly doesn’t have banana milk, but banana milk and a packet of cookies. “That’s new,” Renjun says. 

“Yeah. Running makes me hungry,” Yukhei reasons. 

“Wouldn’t know,” Renjun says as he scans the items and it was a mistake because Yukhei’s doing that loud laugh thing again and not only are Renjun’s ears pierced, but his heart, too. 

“You’re funny,” Yukhei says and God, Renjun just wants to die.

“Thanks,” he says. “See you around.”

The bell jingles. Renjun dies. Johnny laughs and pats his back. This is now routine. 

The next time Yukhei comes in, Renjun makes a very big mistake. Yukhei hands him the banana milk to scan, and Renjun shakes his head. 

“It’s okay. It’s on the house.”

Yukhei blinks and takes the banana milk, sceptical. “Can you do that?”

“It’s my family’s shop, we take stuff all the time. Donghyuck steals packets of chips every day. My dad just pays the difference.”

Yukhei’s mouth falls open. “Wait, this is  _ your _ family’s shop?”

“Yeah. Why?” 

Yukhei scratches the back of his neck again, looking away. “Oh, it’s just. Can I hang out here, then? With you?”

Renjun laughs. “Sure, but why would you want to?”   


“Because you’re cool,” Yukhei says as he leans against the counter, piercing the milk carton with a straw. 

Renjun frowns. “I’m really not.”

Yukhei hums and swallows the milk. “You are. I mean, you can draw crazy well, and you have all those amazing piercings. Even the eyebrow piercing.”

Renjun instinctively reaches up and touches the bandaid. “You can tell?”

“It’s obvious,” Yukhei laughs. “And you bunk,  _ and  _ your parents own a family mart.”

“None of those things are cool,” Renjun says. “You made me sound like a loser.”

“You’re not a loser, you’re…” Yukhei scrambles to find the word. “Mystifying.”

“Mystifying?” 

“Yeah.”

Renjun isn’t sure how he feels about being called ‘mystifying’. He’s heard many things, loser being one of them. Intimidating being another. It’s not hard to tell why; the piercings, not turning up to lessons, the detentions, the angsty art book he carries around, but it’s not like he’s alone. Donghyuck experiences the exact same thing, and tenfold; Donghyuck is the more vocal of the two, louder in his rebellions and fiercer in his fights. If there was anyone who fit the label of ‘mystifying’ it’s Donghyuck. Sometimes he’s a mystery even to Renjun. 

“So, can I hang here?” Yukhei asks and Renjun nods, clearing a space on the counter. 

Yukhei beams at him and sits up, sucking on his banana milk. They don’t say much else. Renjun pulls out his notebook and continues to doodle, this time sketching Yukhei’s silhouette as the morning light holds him in its clasp. 

“Why did you move here?” Renjun asks one day while they’re sat in the store. Yukhei’s munching on some crackers he took from one of the aisles, and he’s so messy that he drops crumbs on the floor. Johnny and Doyoung have warmed up to Yukhei but the messes of sweat and crumbs he leaves around the store have them snapping and scolding him. Yukhei whines when they do so and Renjun can only laugh, because he knows they do it fondly. 

“Our Grandpa passed a few months back so we came to look after our Grandma,” he says and pops a cracker into his mouth. 

Renjun stills. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Yukhei says, waving his hands around as if to reassure Renjun. “I was never close to him. It just hurts seeing Grandma so down, you know? And there’s nothing we can really do about it.”

“Yeah,” Renjun says and goes back to his drawing. He can’t help but feel on edge now, unsure what to say. He’s never dealt with losing family before and even if Yukhei says it’s okay, Renjun can’t help but feel he’s saying that to placate him. 

“What about you? What’s your family like?” Yukhei says to steer the conversation into lighter territory.

“Oh, uh. Nothing special. Just me, Mum, and Dad.”

“That sounds cosy,” Yukhei says. “Getting all your parents’ love.”

“It used to be lonely but then I met Donghyuck and he’s like a brother, so,” Renjun shrugs.

At the mention of Donghyuck’s name, Yukhei perks up. “Oh, Donghyuck. That’s your friend with the piercings. You should introduce us sometime.”

Renjun splutters because,  _ no,  _ that is absolutely a terrible idea. They would get on all too well and the last thing Renjun needs is Donghyuck spilling to Yukhei all the horrible, lovesick things Renjun’s said when he’s far too tired and far too out of his mind.

“Sure,” he says, because how can he explain all of that?

The next few weeks are spent diverting Donghyuck and Yukhei away from each other. Renjun forces Donghyuck to bunk the lessons with Yukhei in, and when they seem like they’re about to meet, Renjun will pull one of them away from the other.

Renjun thinks he’s being discreet until he’s walking to school with Yukhei one day and Yukhei turns and says,

“So, why are you stopping me from meeting Donghyuck?”   


Renjun stops in the middle of the path and looks at Yukhei, feigning confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It’s kind of obvious,” Yukhei laughs. “You pretend not to see me and drag Donghyuck away. What’s so wrong with me that I shouldn’t meet him?” 

For a second Yukhei actually looks downtrodden, his smile pulled taut, his eyes duller. It’s not a good look on Yukhei who laughs like he breathes. Renjun’s chest feels tight. 

“Nothing’s wrong with you, Yukhei, you’re amazing,” Renjun says. That bright, sunshine smile is back on Yukhei’s face and the weight on Renjun’s chest eases. 

“Oh. Then why?”

“It’s… Donghyuck has a big mouth and I don’t want him to say anything embarrassing.”

“Oh,” he says. Realisation passes Yukhei’s face.  _ “Oh.  _ You’ve been talking to Donghyuck about me.”

Renjun huffs and pushes past Yukhei, making off down the path. “Have not.”

“You have!” Yukhei says as he scrambles to catch up. “What were you saying? Embarrassing things?”

“None of your business,” Renjun says, shaking off the hand Yukhei places on his shoulder.

“Renjun,” Yukhei whines, petulant and child-like, but Renjun’s dealt with Donghyuck one too many times and is now immune to whining, even if it comes from Yukhei. “Please.”

Renjun doesn’t answer. He picks up his pace so that his walking is fast walking, and then jogging. When he hears feet behind him he gets faster, sprinting, but he’s no match for Yukhei. 

Yukhei winds his arms around Renjun’s waist and hoists him up in the air. Renjun squeals, begs Yukhei to put him down, but it’s too late. His backpack tips upside down and its contents spill, his notebook resting on top like a cherry on a cake. The pages fall open with the breeze and all of those embarrassing sketches Yukhei had made over the months are laid bare. Renjun squeezes his eyes shut.

He  _ really _ wants to die right now. 

Yukhei bends down and picks up the notebook, carding through the pages. Renjun doesn’t stop him. There’s no use.

“Renjun, these are—”

“I know and I’m sorry, can we just. Not mention them again, maybe? Sorry if they make you uncomfortable.” Renjun doesn’t look up, can’t. He doesn’t want to see Yukhei’s disappointed face, doesn’t want to see how weirded out by this he is. 

“They’re really good. I didn’t realise you drew me so much,” Yukhei says, handing the notebook out to Renjun. Renjun takes it and holds it close to his chest. “Renjun, you alright?”

“Sorry, this is just—” Renjun squeezes his eyes shut and groans, “—really embarrassing.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You drew me, not proclaimed your love to me.”

Silence.

“Oh. Renjun—”

“Can we not, can we  _ please _ not, this is bad enough as it is.” Renjun bends down and begins to put everything back in his bag. All he wants is to get out of here and run back home, preferably to his bed, where he’ll bury himself in his blankets, never to see the sun again. He wants. To die. 

“I think,” Yukhei starts as he bends down to help Renjun, “that this is something we  _ should _ talk about. Look at me, Renjun.” 

Renjun knows that Yukhei won’t let up, so he looks, his eyes glossy with tears. Yukhei is a blur in front of him and that’s alright by Renjun because if he has to see that face up close then he think he may really keel over and die. 

“You have a crush on me, don’t you?” Yukhei asks. 

Renjun snorts. “You just want to hear me say it.”

“Maybe,” Yukhei laughs. “It’s okay, by the way. I have a crush on you, too.”

Renjun drops the book in his hand. “What?” He looks back up and Yukhei’s scratching the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, you’re just so amazing, how could I not? Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Why would it… God, you’re an idiot.”

Yukhei giggles and the sound is like honey to Renjun’s ears. 

“So, does that mean I can take you on a date?” Yukhei asks. Renjun blushes. 

“For a price.”

“If I help you pick up your bag?” Renjun shakes his head. “How about if I walk you home everyday after school.” Again, Renjun shakes his head. “For a kiss?”

Renjun’s blush deepens but he shrugs to maintain the air of nonchalance; Yukhei —  _ Wong Yukhei  _ — said he was cool. 

Yukhei laughs and reaches out to cup Renjun’s cheeks. He leans in and the last thing Renjun sees before he dies is Yukhei and his pretty pink lips, Yukhei and his rose-dusted cheeks, Yukhei, framed by the light of the sun as it blushes in the morning sky in the colour of banana milk and first love.


End file.
